FREEPORT We all know about L.L. Bean and the products it provides. For native Mainers, and those from away, the Freeport retailer’s link with the outdoors — and related activities — has been a given for generations. But what about the people who work there, especially longtime employees who have witnessed dramatic changes at the […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia will pay the U.S. government a $100 million civil penalty to end a two-year investigation into overstated gas mileage figures on window stickers on 1.2 million vehicles. The penalty, announced Monday by the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, is the first under new rules aimed […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit rose in September, as a broader global economic weakness caused exports to fall. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that the trade deficit rose 7.6 percent to $43 billion in September. That marks the first increase in four months. Economic slowdowns in Europe and China appear to have hurt […]

LIMESTONE Anyone who was living and working in Aroostook County in 1991 can probably tell you exactly where they were when the news broke that Loring Air Force Base was shutting down. The base had survived two previous rounds of military base closures in the late 1980s, but in July 1991, all appeals and options […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence rebounded strongly in October, hitting a seven-year high as solid job gains raised expectations for economic growth. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its confidence index climbed to 94.5, the strongest reading since October 2007 and the start of the Great Recession a few months later. This month’s gains […]

DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines and US Airways will combine their frequent flier programs early next year and, for now, still base free flights on how many miles customers fly. Competitors Delta and United plan to base awards on how much customers spend, which helps travelers who buy expensive firstclass and business-class tickets. But executives […]

BAR HARBOR — Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, with a branch location in Topsham, is hosting its 26th annual Community Food Drive from Nov. 1 to Nov. 21. Everyone is invited to bring donations of non-perishable food, cash and grocery store gift cards to any of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust’s 15 branches. The gifts […]

SOUTH PORTLAND — Southern Maine Community College is holding an open house where businesses can learn about SMCC’s workforce training programs and out-of-work Mainers can register for free training in Microsoft applications. SMCC’s Business & Community Partnerships department is hosting the event from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6, in the McKernan […]

PORTLAND — Bernstein Shur, one of northern New England’s largest law firms, recently announced that 32 of its attorneys have been named to 2014 New England Super Lawyers. Of those ranked, 13 were named to Rising Stars. Peter Rubin, senior shareholder, was ranked as a Top 100 New England Super Lawyer. Super Lawyers is a […]